About the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office

The Office of County Prosecuting Attorney is authorized by ORC Chapter 309. This chapter authorizes the county prosecuting attorney to:

"...inquire into the commission of crimes within the county. The prosecuting attorney shall prosecute, on behalf of the state, all complaints, suits, and controversies in which the state is a party, ... and other suits, matters, and controversies that the prosecuting attorney is required to prosecute within or outside the county, in the probate court, court of common pleas, and court of appeals. In conjunction with the attorney general, the prosecuting attorney shall prosecute in the supreme court cases arising in the prosecuting attorney's county..."

The prosecuting attorney is elected quadrennially and holds office for four years. The prosecuting attorney must be a qualified elector, an attorney at law, and licensed to practice law in the State of Ohio.

The current Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney Joseph T. Deters was elected to office in November 2004 in a write-in race, and began his four year term on January 3, 2005.

He has appointed 110 assistant prosecuting attorneys and 70 additional support persons, making the Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office one of the largest law firms in Hamilton County.